Smoking pipe



April 19, 1966 Q. L. BIRCH 3,246,656

SMOKING PIPE Filed Jan. 28, 1964 BQ W INVENTOR:

NEIL L. BIRCH United States Patent 3,246,656 SMOKING PIPE Neil L. Birch, 2710 Cooleemee Drive, Raleigh, N.C. Filed Jan. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 340,645 Claims. (Cl. 131176) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in smoking pipes, and the principal object of the invention is to provide an improved pipe which may be quickly and easily loaded with a tobacco charge, which prevents spilling of burning tobacco particles and hot ashes while smoking, from which burnt tobacco and ashes may be easily and completely ejected after a smoke, and which permits clean and cool smoking such as is not possible with-pipes of conventional types.

As such, the smoking pipe of the invention embodies an improved bowl construction wherein the bowl includes a top portion and a bottom portion rigidly connected to but spaced from the top portion so as to provide a recess therebetween, and an intermediate bowl portion which is pivotally mounted between the top and bottom portions so that it may be swung in and out of the recess. The intermediate portion is formed with a tobacco receiving chamber into which a charge of tobacco may be placed and ignited when the intermediate portion is swung out of the recess. The chamber has an open top and bottom which are closed, respectively, by the top and bottom portions of the bowl when the intermediate portion is swung into the recess. The top portion is formed with air passage means and the stem of the pipe has a smoke passage which extends into the bottom bowl portion, the air passage means and the smoke passage communicating with the tobacco chamber in the inwardly swung or closed position of the intermediate bowl portion, so that smoking may be effected without any danger of burning tobacco particles or' hot ashes spilling from the pipe. After a smoke, the burnt tobacco and ashes may be easily ejected from the chamber through the open bottom thereof when the intermediate bowl portion is swung outwardly from the recess.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view and such other Objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a smoking pipe in accordance with the invention, the intermediate bowl portion thereof being shown in an open position to receive a tobacco cartridge also illustrated in the same figure;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the bowl, taken along the longitudinal axis of the pipe stern;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 33 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional detail of the bowl pivot means, taken substantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a modified embodiment of the intermediate bowl portion.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the smoking pipe in accordance with the invention is designated generally by the reference numeral and is particularly adapted for use with cartridges of tobacco, one of which is shown at 11. The pipe 10 has a more or less conventional stem 12 and an improved bowl 13.

The bowl 13 includes a horizontal top portion 14, a side portion 15, a bottom portion 16 and an intermediate portion 17. The top portion 14 is spaced above the ice bottom portion 16 and is rigidly connected thereto by the side portion 15, it being noted that the spacing of these portions 14, 16 provides an open-sided recess 18 therebetween, the recess 18 being such as to receive the intermediate bowl portion 17 in a compleinental manner, as will be apparent from FIGURES 2 and 3.

The intermediate bowl portion 17 is substantially tubular in form and affords a cylindrical chamber 19 therein for reception of the tobacco cartridge 11. The chamber 19 is open at the top and bottom thereof, but is closed, respectively, by the top and bottom bowl portions 14, 16 when the intermediate portion 17 is disposed in the recess 18.

The usual smoke passage 20 in the pipe stem 12 extends into the bowl portion 16 to which the pipe stem is connected and opens on the upper surface of the bottom bowl portion 16 so that when the bowl portion 17 is swung into the recess 18, the smoke passage 20 communicates with the bottom of the tobacco chamber 19. Similarly, the top portion 14 of the bowl is provided with air passage means in the form of a group of apertures 21 which communicate with the top of the chamber 19 when the bowl portion 17 is in the recess 18.

The intermediate bowl portion 17 is mounted between the top and bottom portions 14, 16 by a vertical pivot pin 22 which permits the portion 17 to be swung laterally outwardly from the recess 18 as indicated by the arrow 23 in FIGURE 3, so that the chamber 19 in the portion 17 is exposed for loading and ignition of tobacco or ejection of ashes, as will be readily apparent from FIGURE 1. It will be observed that the pivot pin 22 is offset to one side of the bowl, that is, to one side from the longitudinal axis of the stem 12 (see FIGURE 3) and that on this same side of the bowl, the region 15' of the bowl portion 15 provides an abutment for the swingable bowl portion 17. The arrangement is such that if a chord were drawn between the ends of the bowl portion 15' as seen in FIG. 3, it would intersect a plane including the longitudinal axes of the bowl and stem at an angle which may be described as being either acute or obtuse, depending upon the position from which it is observed. As a result, the bowl portion 17 may be swung out of the recess 18 in one direction only, that is, in the direction of the arrow 23, while swinging thereof in the relatively opposite direction is not possible.

Suitable means are provided for urging the bowl section 17 into frictional engagement with the bottom portion 16 as the section 17 is swung to its closed position in the recess 18. These means are desirable not only to retain the bowl portion 17 in the recess 18, but also to prevent leakage of air into the chamber 19 such as could occur if the bottom surface of the bowl portion 17 were not firmly seated against the top surface of the portion 16.

In the illustrated embodiment, the pivot pin 22 passes freely through registering bores 24, 25 formed in the top portion 14 and intermediate portion 17, respectively, but the lower end of the pin is screw-threaded into a threaded bore formed in the bottom portion 16, as indicated at 26 in FIGURE 4. The pin 22 is secured against rotation in the bore 25 by a suitable set screw 27, it being apparent that as the bowl portion 17 is swung inwardly into the recess 18, the pin 22 will rotate therewith and the screw-threads 26 will cause the bowl portion 17 to :be lowered into frictional engagement with the bottom portion 16. Conversely, when the bowl portion 17 is swung outwardly, it is raised out of its frictional engagement with the portion 16, suflicient clearance being provided between the portions 14, 16 to make vertical movement of the portion 17 possible.

The aforementioned tobacco cartridge 11 is in the form of a cylinder adapted to fit into the chamber 19, the

cartridge consisting of particles of tobacco which are bound together by a resin derived from tobacco, so that the tobacco as well as the resin binder are consumed in the smoking process without undue alteration of the taste.

The entire pipe may be manufactured from metal such as aluminum, for example, or from wood, plastic, or any other suitable material. However, to avoid burning or charring of the wall of the chamber 19, it is preferred that at least the bowl portion 17 be of metallic construction or, if not, that the chamber 19 be provided with a metallic liner 28, as indicated in the modified embodiment of the bowl portion 17' in FIGURE 5.

While in the foregoing there have been described and shown the preferred embodiments of the invention, various modifications may :become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly, it is not desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modificaions and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a smoking pipe, a bowl including a top position having air passage means, a bottom portion rigidly connected to but spaced from said top portion to provide a recess .therebetween, an intermediate bowl portion disposed in said recess and formed with a tobacco receiving chamber, a vertical pivot pin mounting said intermediate bowl portion between said top and bottom portions whereby the intermediate portion may be swung outwardly from said recess to expose said chamber, said bottom bowl portion being provided with a smoke passage, said air passage means and said smoke passage communieating with said chamber when said intermediate bowl portion is disposed in said recess, said pivot pin being screw-threaded into said bottom bowl portion so as to rise and fall relative thereto when the pivot pin is rotated, and means securing said intermediate bowl portion to said pivot pin for movement therewith, whereby when the intermediate bowl portion is swung into said recess it will sealingly seat upon the bottom bowl portion by falling movement of the pivot pin and whereby swinging of the intermediate bowl portion out of said recess will unseat the same from the bottom bowl portion by rising movement of the pin.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with a stem connected to said bottom portion of the bowl and having said smoke passage extending therethrough.

3. In a smoking pipe, a bowl including a top portion having air passage means, a bottom portion spaced from said top portion and formed with a smoke passage, a hollow stem connected to said bottom portion in communication with said smoke passage, a side portion rigidly connecting said top and bottom portions together in spaced relation to provide an open-sided recess therebetween, an intermediate bowl portion disposed in said recess and formed with a tobacco receiving chamber open at the top and bottom thereof, and vertical pivot means mounting said intermediate portion between said top and bottom portions, said pivot means being offset to one side of a plane including the longitudinal axes of the bowl and stem and said side portion of the bowl being disposed so that a chord drawn between the ends thereof would intersect said plane at an angle other than a right angle, whereby the intermediate portion may be swung laterally outwardly from said recess in one direction only to expose said chamber, said air passage means and said smoke passage communicating respectively with the open top and bottom of said chamber when said intermediate bowl portion is disposed in said recess.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 together with a metallic liner for said chamber provided in said intermediate bowl portion.

5. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein said pivot means comprise a pin screw-threaded into said bottom bowl portion so as to rise and fall relative thereto when the pivot pin is rotated, and means securing said intermediate bowl portion to said pivot pin for movement therewith, whereby when the intermediate bowl portion is swung into said recess it will sealingly seat upon the bottom bowl portion by falling movement of the pivot pin and whereby swinging of the intermediate bowl portion out of said recess will unseat the same from the bottom bowl portion by rising movement of the pin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 50,962 11/1865 Schulte 131-220 X 380,590 4/1888 Peabody 1313 682,278 9/1901 Roller 13l180 X 1,302,047 4/1919 Hurst 131-180 1,864,400 6/1932 Berger 13 l179 X 2,162,077 6/1939 Gilliam 1313 2,314,982 3/1943 Howdle 131-176 2,776,662 1/1957 Widrich 131179 X 3,117,579 1/1964 Alsafrana 131-176 FOREIGN PATENTS 563,493 9/1923 France. 400,898 8/ 1924 Germany.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Assistant Examiner. 

3. IN A SMOKING PIPE, A BOWL INCLUDING A TOP PORTION HAVING AIR PASSAGE MEANS, A BOTTOM PORTION SPACED FROM SAID TOP PORTION AND FORMED WITH A SMOKE PASSAGE, A HOLLOW STEM CONNECTED TO SAID BOTTOM PORTION IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID SMOKE PASSAGE, A SIDE PORTION RIGIDLY CONNECTING SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS TOGETHER IN SPACED RELATION TO PROVIDE AN OPEN-SIDED RECESS THEREBETWEEN, AN INTERMEDIATE BOWL PORTION DISPOSED IN SAID RECESS AND FORMED WITH A TOBACCO RECEIVING CHAMBER OPEN AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM THEREOF, AND VERTICAL PIVOT MEANS MOUNTING SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION BETWEEN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PORTIONS, SAID PIVOT MEANS BEING OFFSET TO ONE SIDE OF A PLANE INCLUDING THE LONGITUDINAL AXES OF THE BOWL AND STEM AND SAID SIDE PORTION OF THE BOWL BEING DISPOSED SO THAT A CHORD DRAWN BETWEEN THE ENDS THEREOF WOULD INTERSECT SAID PLANE AT AN ANGLE OTHER THAN A RIGHT ANGLE, WHEREBY THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION MAY BE SWUNG LATERALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID RECESS IN ONE DIRECTION ONLY TO EXPOSE SAID CHAMBER, SAID AIR PASSAGE MEANS AND SAID SMOKE PASSAGE COMMUNICATING RESPECTIVELY WITH THE OPEN TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID CHAMBER WHEN SAID INTERMEDIATE BOWL PORTION IS DISPOSED IN SAID RECESS. 